Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 33: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the proposed operation of the draft regulations on end-of-life vehicles for cars and vans; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9476/06]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Necessary enabling provisions to facilitate implementation of Directive 2000/53/EC on end-of-life vehicles, ELVs, were incorporated in the Protection of the Environment Act 2003. Part VA of the Waste Management Act 1996, as inserted by section 44 of the Protection of the Environment Act 2003, explicitly provides for producer responsibility for the free deposit of ELVs at authorised treatment facilities by their last owners; the appropriate treatment and recovery of ELVs deposited at authorised treatment facilities in line with the directive's requirements; the mandatory deposit of ELVs by their registered owners at authorised treatment facilities for appropriate treatment and recovery; and the issuing of certificates of destruction in respect of ELVs deposited at authorised treatment facilities for scrapping.

Last month I published the draft Waste Management (End-of-Life Vehicles) Regulations 2006 for a period of public consultation that will conclude on 24 March. These draft regulations will, when finalised, fully transpose and provide the framework for the implementation of the ELV directive in Ireland.

In general terms, the principal responsibility for putting in place a national network of authorised treatment facilities providing take-back of end-of-life vehicles of any particular brand rests with the producer of that brand. Each producer's national collection system will comprise at least one authorised treatment facility in the functional area of each local authority and must have sufficient capacity to treat the number of end-of-life vehicles of that producer's brand, or for which that producer is responsible, that arise in any given year. Where a vehicle is accepted for appropriate treatment and recovery, no charge shall be imposed on the registered owner of that vehicle except in cases where the vehicle's essential components are missing or where waste has been added to that vehicle. Local authorities will have responsibility for the registration of producers, the processing and approval of producers' implementation arrangements and will take the lead in enforcing the new regulatory regime.

Obligations are imposed on authorised treatment facilities to ensure that such facilities operate under a waste licence or, as appropriate, a waste permit and meet the minimum technical requirements for the (i) storage, including temporary storage, of end-of-life vehicles prior to their being the subject of appropriate treatment and recovery; (ii) appropriate treatment and recovery of end-of-life vehicles; and (iii) storage of components containing fluids, recoverable components and spare parts.

On the deposit of an end-of-life vehicle at an authorised treatment facility for appropriate treatment and recovery, the owner or operator of that facility shall issue a certificate of destruction to the registered owner, authorised person of a local authority or member of the Garda Síochána and all relevant information relating to that certificate of destruction shall be noted on the national vehicle records. No charge may be imposed by the authorised treatment facility on the registered owner of the end-of-life vehicle in respect of the certificate of destruction. Both producers and authorised treatment facilities will be subject to reporting requirements. The regulations also include provisions to minimise the use of specified hazardous substances in vehicles. The draft regulations are available on the Department's website at www.environ.ie. I will examine the submissions made in the consultation process and then proceed to finalise the regulations to allow for the commencement of the free take back of end of life vehicles from 1 January 2007.